LG on Wednesday announced the launch of its Explorer Project that is aimed to bring new smartphones with “distinctive and yet unexplored usability experiences”. The first model under the new lineup will debut as early as September 14, the company said alongside releasing a teaser video. The video suggests a handset with a rotating and dual screen experience. This hints at the rumoured “Wing” phone that was speculated to debut in the second half of this year. LG said that the new project is aimed to expand the current user experience and would focus solely on new usability.
The 30-second video released by LG on its global YouTube channel suggests the dual screen phone rotating clockwise to form a T-shape design. This unique form factor appeared in a leaked video just last week. Also, the phone has been a part of the rumour mill as the LG Wing since May this year.
Nevertheless, LG hasn’t provided any specific details about the new model – apart from confirming its virtual launch that will take place through the LG Mobile Global Facebook and YouTube channels at 10AM ET (7:30pm IST) on September 14.
LG said in a press release that the new smartphone would be a part of its Explorer Project. The company is working with partners including Qualcomm, Rave, Ficto, Tubi, and Naver to develop features for its new form factor.
“LG and platform partners feel it is vitally important to demonstrate to consumers new and differentiated user experiences in the smartphone space,” said Morris Lee, president of LG’s Mobile Communications Company, in a statement. “LG has always been a pioneer in pushing the envelope of smartphone form factors, the only way to bring about much needed innovation in the mobile market.”
The rumour mill suggested that the T-shape design of LG’s new smartphone could bring new use cases. One of the new use cases could be to let users watch one content horizontally on a wide screen while viewing the other one in a vertical position. The phone is also said to have a primary display of 6.8 inches, whereas its secondary display could be of four inches and has 1:1 aspect ratio.
LG may unveil the Wing phone with a premium price tag of around $1,000 (roughly Rs. 73,000). It is also rumoured to have some specifications similar to those of the LG Velvet that debuted with triple rear cameras and Snapdragon 765G SoC in May. The company in its release, however, highlighted that the new lineup under the Explorer Project would be unlike phones including the Velvet that are under its Universal Line and are marketed as competitive devices.
In the recent past, models including the LG G8X ThinQ and V60 ThinQ with detachable dual screens brought by the South Korean company to cater to the market of dual screens. The company also has a history of providing early dual selfie camera phones and curved screen handsets to gain some traction. However, the new model is projected to take the company’s presence in the smartphone market to a new level by bringing an all new mobile viewing experience.
Is this the end of the Samsung Galaxy Note series as we know it? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
